"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

A classic HR interview question. Also typically part of development plan discussions. Now with the pandemic of course, this question bears a whole new meaning. But for the purpose of this discussion, I will take out the pandemic context. Let's go back to the pre-pandemic era.

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I always hated this question. In my cosmic galaxy of corporate theory, this has always been a bit of a pointless question, one that does not adhere neither to my life nor my business philosophy. Many times have I felt the urge to answer "I have absolutely no idea…and you know what? That’s what's exciting about it". And it’s true.

 

I find that all the excitement lies in exploring unchartered territories, following a direction without knowing exactly where it will take you, landing in positions you never considered listing in your career development plan.

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So let's start with this last point - the one about landing in roles you would never have taken seriously as a 'next move'. Have you ever too readily dismissed a certain role and/or department simply because you think you know better? It often happens when you work for the same company for many years. You start 'the process of elimination', dismissing roles and/or departments because of the this and that…the manager, the colleagues, the late hours, your ignorance of what they really do etc.

 

Before telling you a quick story, I will fast forward directly to the moral of the story, and this is to never underestimate what those roles and departments that you so easily dismiss might actually have to offer you.

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Storytime:

For years, I was seated in an huge open space area next to the department dealing with the company's retail stores. I didn't know too much about retail and as such the specific department was never top of mind as a potential next move but mostly because I was dismissive of some of the people working there. How wrong was I. How foolish and immature! After collaborating with the manager and the team for a while, I was subsequently proposed my first managerial position in that department. Had it not been for the promotion, I would have surely turned down the offer. But I accepted, only to later realize that situated right there, right next to me, was a whole new world within the same company for which I had been working for all these years. By moving only a few desks further down I was offered access to a whole new galaxy of super exciting knowledge, and all this time it was right there next to me and yet I so readily dismissed it. Would I have seen myself there? Would I have planned my next move 'in the next 5 years' there? Never. Did it equip me with priceless experience? Indeed it did. Now read the moral of the story again. So next time, think again.

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Now let's get back to not dictating and predefining your professional career path. A song I tirelessly enjoy listening to is "Wear Sunscreen" by Baz Luhrmann (1999) (YouTube Music link ). During this amazing advice-dispensing song, the guy says:

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"Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's". 

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How true! Chance and timing are (nearly) everything. I say 'nearly' because I do believe in making situations happen for yourself (i.e. being in control of how you shape your future), however the chance or timing of that 'happening' is not entirely up to you. You might be acing in your role, planning all the right moves, networking with all the right people, listing your desired roles in your development plan and yet all the variable parameters that you don’t control might never allow your 'plan' to come to fruition. This make me think - Why do I even need a 'plan' in the first place?

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For people like me, who don't know (and don't want to know) specifically where to sail towards and don’t have a detailed plan of where they want to be in 5 years, a plan is nonetheless necessary. Yes. We all need a plan. I call it a 'grooming' plan. One where you must focus on raising your self-awareness to understand who you really are as a business person, what you represent, understand your brand, or the brand you want to build, the skills and behaviours you need to build and adopt in order to be able to even make a move possible in the first place. That thing about 'shaping your future'…that's what I am talking about. Making things happen for yourself. Shaping (or changing if necessary) perceptions about yourself. Perceptions that will affect the later decisions to be made about you. Creating a positive buzz around your name. So make sure you make it very clear to others that not knowing where you want to be in 5 years does not mean you don't have a plan at all.

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The Baz Luhrmann advice that I personally always felt comforted with is:

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"Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life…some of the most interesting 40-year olds I know still don't".

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So let me tell you where I see myself in 5 years. There is one simple question, the answer to which helps me understand what I want from my next job role "What makes you tick?". For me, it’s (1) operating in an intellectually stimulating and high-paced working environment with people I have something to learn from and (2) having a broad playing field and (3) being given 'space' to explore and discover new unchartered territories. So when thinking about my next role, I try to evaluate 'Will I wake up happily wanting to start my working day? Will it make me tick? If the answer is yes, then that is where I want to be in 5 years. And believe me, as you get older and pile up those decades of working experience, there are fewer and fewer things that get you excited because you've 'been there done that' many times round. So being engaged with and excited about my job is for me the ONLY factor that I need to plan for when deciding on my career development plan. Now, whether that lands me in the marketing department, or a sales role, I don't really care to be honest. We are most productive, efficient and add the most value when our energy and happiness levels are high.

So the answer is not in X position or Y department, it's in a role that satisfies all the does-it-make-me-tick boxes.

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If my one goal in life is to ensure my kids are happy and balanced human beings, should that not be the exact same ambition I set for myself?

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Lastly, probably the best advice other than wearing sunscreen is:

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"Dance! Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room"

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I think that's what I will do right now! 💃